Engineered Hybrid Vesicles and Cellular Internalization in Mammary Cancer Cells

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication, with the potential to serve as biomaterials for nanocarriers. Combining such extracellular vesicles and liposomes results in advanced drug delivery carriers. In this study, we attempted to fabricate hybrid vesicles using a membrane fusion method and incorporated an anticancer drug. As a result, we successfully prepared nanosized uniform hybrid vesicles and evaluated their physicochemical characteristics and intracellular uptake mechanisms via endocytosis in various cell lines. Compared to liposomes, the hybrid vesicles showed better physical properties and a relatively higher reduction in cell viability, which was presumably dependent on the specific cell type. These findings suggest that fusion-based hybrid vesicles offer a novel strategy for delivering therapeutic agents and provide insights into the types of extracellular vesicles that are useful in fabricating hybrid vesicles to develop an advanced drug delivery system.

Hybrid Nanosystem Formed by DOX-Loaded Liposomes and Extracellular Vesicles from MDA-MB-231 Is Effective against Breast Cancer Cells with Different Molecular Profiles

“…In this study, pegylated pH-sensitive liposomes fused with EVs isolated from human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were prepared by the film hydration method [ 10 ]. Kim and Evers used a similar method, hydrating the lipid film with an EV-containing aqueous solution [ 20 , 21 ]. Another study by Hu et al promoted the fusion of EVs and liposomes using different methods, such as incubation followed by extrusion [ 22 ].…”

“…This study of cellular DOX uptake also showed that the association of EVs in the lipid bilayer did not prevent DOX uptake by breast cancer cell lines. Kim and Evers [ 20 , 21 ] showed that the EV:liposome particle proportion alters some physicochemical properties and cellular uptake of the bioactive substance encapsulated. Evers showed that the cellular uptake of hybrid formulations was enhanced in the 1:50 EV:liposome proportion compared to the 1:100 EV:liposome proportion [ 21 ].…”